HomeMy WebLinkAboutSupport Letter - AB 1469 (Kalra) - 04.05.2023REPORT TITLE A HOUSE DIVIDED
1
April 5, 2023
The Honorable Ash Kalra
Member, California State Assembly
1020 O Street, Suite 4610
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 1469 (Kalra) Valley Water – Assisting Unsheltered People.
Notice of Support
Dear Assemblymember Kalra:
The City of Cupertino would like to express our strong support for AB 1469, which makes
changes to the Santa Clara Valley Water District Act to allow the agency to do more to assist
unsheltered people living along creeks and streams, including providing housing or
improved outcomes for unsheltered individuals.
Santa Clara County is currently experiencing unprecedented increases in the number of
unhoused people taking refuge along waterways that run through neighborhoods, parks,
and open spaces, as well as through commercial districts and industrial areas. As the
regional agency responsible for water supply, flood protection, and the environmental
stewardship of creeks and streams, the Santa Clara Valley Water District (“Valley Water”)
owns hundreds of miles of property along waterways as well as other public lands. These
locations are a preferred refuge for unsheltered people because of their proximity to surface
water and the sheltering effects of riparian vegetation, canyons, and creek banks. Valley
Water estimated in February 2023 that more than 2,000 unsheltered people were taking
refuge on the agency’s properties and easements.
AB 1469 would provide Valley Water with the statutory authorization to use its land and a
portion of its general tax revenue to humanely assist unsheltered people living along
waterways to provide outreach, transitional housing, or other supportive services through
contracts with cities, the County, or non-governmental organizations. The goal is to bring
REPORT TITLE A HOUSE DIVIDED
2
more resources to the table to facilitate solutions to serious environmental and operational
impacts of large numbers of unsheltered people living along creeks and streams.
The City of Cupertino strongly supports AB 1469 because it will enable Valley Water to do
more to assist unsheltered people taking refuge along waterways, provide more resources
to support the efforts of cities, the County, and non-governmental organizations to address
the homelessness crisis in our region, and will give Valley Water the tools it needs to
improve water quality and protect sensitive, threatened, and endangered species. We urge
the Legislature and the Governor to enact this important legislation.
Sincerely,
Hung Wei
Mayor, City of Cupertino
cc: Senator Dave Cortese
Assemblymember Evan Low